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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: swing · fall · pitcher · pound · rock · band · wind · firm

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. fall — the season
  3. band — a ring
  4. rock — a stone
  5. fall — to drop
  6. firm — steady
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. firm — decided
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. swing — music
  11. swing — to play on
  12. pound — a weight
  13. rock — music
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. swing — in golf
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. firm — a company
  20. fall — to drop
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. wind — moving air
  23. wind — moving air
  24. pound — to hit hard

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com